How to Stay on Top of Housework With a Toddler

How to Stay On Top of Housework With a Toddler

Staying on top of housework with a toddler sounds like an oxymoron. Toddlers are little tornados of destruction and your home pays the price. So what do you do if you don’t want to live like that? What if you want to keep your home tidy and allow your toddler to play and explore?

Today I’m sharing my favorite tips for staying on top of housework with a toddler. These simple tips will help you enjoy your home without restricting the fun. 

Why Do Toddlers Make Tidiness Difficult?

Toddlers are learning constantly, even if it doesn’t look like learning to us. They are learning how to move and control their bodies, which is why they run into things, knock stuff over, and generally cause a ruckus. Likewise, they are so interested in what is right in front of them, they don’t pay attention to the juice they are holding or the mail they just knocked off the counter. 

Obviously, this is not intentional on your toddler’s part, but being aware of this can help you to structure your home in a way that makes more sense.

Create Zones

It took a long time to learn, but my son now knows that there are certain places and things that are not for playing. For example, I have a curio cabinet full of (inexpensive but emotionally priceless) decorative kitchen items from family members that are no longer with us. It took a lot of repeating and explaining, but he now knows that the curio and its contents are simply off limits. 

Teach your child which areas are for playing and which aren’t. Toddlers are notoriously hard-headed, so remember to be patient and consistent. 

Give Your Toddler Tasks

A bored toddler is a destructive toddler. Having a task keeps them from getting into things they shouldn’t. Toddlers also love to help, so try to phrase it in a way that makes them feel useful in a way that is impotent to them. Things like:

• “Hey, mommy needs help with the groceries, can you carry this bag inside for me? It has your favorite fruit!”
• “I need to vacuum your room. Can you help me pick up your legos? I don’t want to accidentally vacuum them up.”

Eliminate Clutter

I’ve got some great posts on decluttering your home and decluttering your kid’s stuff. If you have less available to be strewn about, your home will stay tidier. You will be able to stay on top of housework if you have less overall to manage. 

Create a Routine

Getting your family into a rhythm is so important to staying on top of housework. I have a weekly cleaning schedule that I stick to because it keep all of my tasks manageable. 

It is rare that I have piles of laundry to do because I am intentional in how often I do it. I don’t have to worry about what to cook each night because I prepare a menu for the entire week. 

By knowing when you are cleaning or running errands or washing the car, you carry less stress. And in keeping this schedule, you eliminate a build up of tasks from putting something off for too long. 

Elevate Breakables & Messy Items

If you have ceramic, glass, or other breakable items around your home, move them to a higher shelf. Out of reach means less chance of damage. If they don’t need to be displayed right now, consider boxing them up for a few years until your kiddos are able to coexist without damage. 

If you have a box of color-coded sequins, keep it out of reach or those sequins will be all over the floor at some point. The same goes for beads, fabric swatches, glitter, coins, or generally any other small items that can make a mess if left out. By putting these items up and out of reach, your home will stay tidier. 

Give Everything a Purpose

I am not a huge fan of tchotchkes, dust collectors, memorabilia, or whatever you want to call it. I have some items, we all do. But I make a point not to buy decor that is trendy or that just sits there to look pretty. It needs to serve a purpose. 

I don’t want a pair of faux marble chain links to sit on my coffee table. I will put a pretty wooden box with a lid on my coffee table to house my remote. This slight change makes my décor much more practical.

I won’t buy a mini sculpture from home goods to look pretty but I will buy a gorgeous frame to put pictures of my family in. You get where I’m going with this?

By giving the stuff in your home a purpose, you have less clutter to manage. You can still have pretty things on your kitchen counter, just make sure they’re useful, like a butter crock or wooden cutting boards. 

Now don’t get it twisted: if a vase of fresh flowers brings you joy, or you absolutely love your collection of glass penguins, keep them! By realizing what is important to you, you can let go of other things that don’t serve you. Check out this post for ideas on things to get rid of. 

Rotate Toys

Part of the clutter in your home is due to toys. Perhaps a large part, amirite? Consider setting up a toy rotation in your house to reign in the amount you are needing to tidy up. By rotating through toys, there are less out all at once. Everything is organized and you only have to take out exactly what you need for the week. 

Spend Time Outside Your Home

You don’t have to keep up with housework if it is never messed up in the first place. By leaving your home, you avoid a toddler tornado and have less to do. Win-win. I’ve got a great post on frugal family activities, many of which are done outside the home. 

Embrace (Some of) the Mess

With kids, your home is never going to be perfect. Heck, my home wasn’t perfect before kids. 

Give yourself some grace and accept some of the mess as a natural part of actually living your life. Our homes are not Pinterest worthy because those photos aren’t real life! 

Real life is lived in, chaotic, and yes, messy. Embrace it and enjoy your kiddos while they’re still small. Even though our homes are not models of tidiness or even cleanliness, it is important that they are filled with love. Show your kiddo that love, and the mess won’t seem quite so important. 

Staying on top of housework with a toddler can be frustrating and/or overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Using these tips, you can simplify the clutter and actually enjoy your home and your toddler. What helps you stay on top of housework with your toddler? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to save this post to come back later. Happy momming!